Ben also shared the strategies he and his colleagues employed to identify new, more diverse sources.

As Scott Hanselman replied, “This whole thread is excellent, and also applies to sourcing podcast guests or technical speakers.”

Allies, let’s all think about the experts we tend to consult, quote, or invite to give presentations. If they tend to be “like you,” why not set a goal to diversify your sources in the coming year. Like Ben Bartenstein did‏.

2

Tap people to speak about subject matter expertise, not about their demographic

Instead, let’s tap people to speak about their subject matter expertise.

3

Give constructive feedback, even to those who are different than you

In her book Radical Candor, Kim Scott explores why it may be harder for men to be radically candid with women. She writes, “Most men are trained from birth to be ‘gentler’ with women than with men. Sometimes this can be very bad for the women who work for them.” In other words, men might hold back from criticizing female employees because they’re afraid they might cry.

4

Remember that “ally” is a verb

Caroline also includes eight suggestions for how to be an ally. Our favorite? “Remember, ally is a verb – you need to do the work, every day. There will be instances that make you uncomfortable to speak up, but you can’t be a part-time ally.”

Right on.

p.s. If you happen to know Caroline, please pass along that we’d love to be included in a future update of the list of resources for allies. 🤗

5

Be inclusive during the hiring process (without lowering the bar)

Karen Catlin (founder of Better Allies) was featured on a recent episode of the Hanselminutes podcast. She shared everyday actions to be more inclusive during the hiring process in order to meet business needs. And how to do so without lowering the bar. Given the talent shortfall across tech and other domains, we bet many of you will find this advice helpful and relevant.